1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a holder for a fielder's glove and, in particular, to a holder which can also be used as an aid for training players in proper fielding practice.
2. Brief Statement of the Prior Art
Fielders' gloves used for baseball, softball, and similar sports have a pocket in the palm of the glove to fit the ball and have a natural curvature to conform to the hand of the player. The gloves are fabricated of leather, a material which will undergo dimensional changes when moistened. The gloves are often mistreated following use and are usually placed in a locker or duffel bag without any protection for maintaining the shape of the glove and without any provision to maintain the shape of the pocket of the glove. Since the gloves usually become moist with perspiration and oils during use, they are very prone to deform in a locker or in a duffel bag, particularly when other gear or clothing is placed on top of the glove.
It is also difficult to train players to use both hands while fielding a ball since players naturally tend to catch a fly ball or to pick up a ground ball with only the glove hand, a practice which inevitably results in fielding errors. Some attempts have been made to strap a board on the players' bare fielding hands to force them to use both hands, however, this training aid is limited and the common training against this practice is repeated warning and coaching on the correct, two-handed play.
An attempt has been made to provide a holder for a fielder's glove in U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,849, in which a clam-shell shaped holder is provided in which a folded glove is stored. Unfortunately, the glove must be folded across its heel, and this reduces the stiffness of the heel of the glove. Also, the holder only functions to store the glove, and no provision is made to provide an aid to train players to use both hands when fielding a ball.